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Essential Bible Companion to the Psalms

Key Insights for Reading God’s Word


By: Brian L. Webster and David R. Beach

A must-have for students of the Bible, pastors,


and anyone who desires to possess a unique
reference guide to these ancient works of
poetry and worship. This book provides
fundamental information regarding the
meaning, background, context, and application
of the Psalms. It includes numerous charts
about the various types of psalms (messianic,
prophetic, etc.), and a quick reference list of
psalms that lend themselves to being used for
worship or personal meditation or as a basis
for praying the Scriptures. Full-color visual
images bring the message and world of the
Psalms to life like never before.

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ZONDERVAN

The Essential Bible Companion to the Psalms


Copyright © 2010 by Brian Webster and David Beach

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Visit www.zondervan.com/ebooks.

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Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Webster, Brian L., 1965 – 


The essential Bible companion to the Psalms : key insights for reading God’s Word /
Brian L. Webster and David R. Beach.
p.  cm.
ISBN  978-0-310-28689-9 (softcover)
1. Bible. O.T. Psalms — ​Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Beach, David R., 8/30/1956 – II. Title.
BS1430.52.W43  2010
223'.2061 — ​dc22 2009046399

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version™, TNIV®.
Copyright © 2001, 2005 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. ­Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984
by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971,
1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

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Contents
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Part 1. Introduction to the Psalms


Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
In This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Perspectives on the Psalter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Psalms as Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Psalms as Ceremony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The Psalms as Prayers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
The Psalms as Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Groups of Psalms in the Psalter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Types of Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Hymns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Hymns of Praise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Hymns of Thanksgiving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Hymns of Praise/Thanksgiving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Hymns of the Lord’s Kingship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Hymns: Zion Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Laments/Cries for Help: Individual or Communal . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Psalms of Confidence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Royal Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Liturgy Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Instructional and Wisdom Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Collections and Arrangements in the Psalter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Superscriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Persons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Historical Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Classifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

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Musical Aspects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Collections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Psalms of Asaph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Psalms of the Sons of Korah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Songs of Ascents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Hallelujah Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
The Five Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
The Poetry of the Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Personalizing the Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Part 2. Quick Reference Charts


Unusual Terms Found in the Psalter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Hebrew References to God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Types of Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Common Elements of the Psalms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Explanation of Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Index of Verses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Part 3. The Psalms

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Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my former Psalms professors, Dr. John Stek (Calvin Theo-
logical Seminary) and Dr. Alan Cooper (Hebrew Union College, now at Jewish
Theological Seminary). I am particularly indebted to Dr. Stek for allowing me to
review his structural layouts as I continue to work on the Psalms for a commentary in
Zondervan’s forthcoming series Hearing the Message of Scripture.
While this book was in publication, Dr. Stek went home to be with his Lord. I
would like to dedicate this work to his memory.
The Rev. Dr. John Stek was a great scholar, teacher, and churchman, gracious and
dedicated to helping the common person understand God’s Word. He was a leader
among Bible translators. He served for decades on the translation committee for the
NIV, including being Chair of the Committee on Bible Translation; was an associate
editor of the TNIV Study Bible; and worked also on the NIV Study Bible and TNIV
Study Bible. He imparted to his students a love for the beauty of Hebrew poetry, and
we remain in his debt. May this volume be an honor to his legacy.
I am grateful to Dave Beach for many fruitful discussions about faith in relation-
ships, lament, and the Psalms.
Thanks to David Frees and the rest of the Zondervan team for the opportunity and
for the professional care given to this project.
Thanks to my parents, Allen and Lynn Webster, for their essential support through-
out the years.
And finally, thanks to my wife and daughters, Hope, Angela, Lily, Robyn, and
Starla, for their love and encouragement.
Brian Webster

I would like to acknowledge all of those who have impacted my life with a love for
God, for his Word, and for my neighbor. Space, however, limits me to listing those
most notable. In chronological order:
First, my parents, Richard and Eileen Beach, whose unwavering fidelity to God’s
Word accompanied me in the beginning of my journey. I bless you.
Second, my loving and ever lovely wife, Cynthia, who constantly encourages me
and blesses me with her words and a smile. You are the full expression of love to me.
I love and bless you.
Third, Brian Webster, who first as my Greek professor and then as my friend has
invited me, encouraged me, and inspired me to write my heart on matters of the heart
in the Psalms. I bless you.

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Fourth, Dan Allender and Tremper Longman, whose friendship and commitment to each other
allowed them the pleasure of writing together Cry of the Soul, a book that more than any other has
birthed and coached my desire to write with Brian our words on the Psalms. I bless and thank you.
Additionally, there are others who wait on the other side — ​my brother Dick; my first wife, Sue;
my grandparents; and others I have known — ​cheering me on this journey into Christ.
Last, the team at Zondervan, whose invitation and welcome have meant more to me than they
will ever know. May God expand your territories for his kingdom and his ­people.
David R. Beach

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Introduction
to the
Psalms

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Overview
T he Psalms. Their hymns lead us in praising God. Their laments unleash our
cries for help. Their royal ceremonies and songs of Zion assert God’s order.
Still other psalms lead us to ref lect on God’s Word or call us to righ­teous
character.
The Psalms may be the most read book of the Old Testament and are well loved
for many reasons. We can enter into a multitude of varied scenes painted by poetic
brushstrokes on its verbal canvas because their substance resonates with our lives and
experiences. They may be scenes of rejoicing, despair, confident hope, uncertainty,
or solemn moments of profound musings. Here or there, for a time as needed, we can
enter and sit with the psalmists, then join our voices across the ages with poets whose
words become our expressions. They become our words of praise or of disappoint-
ment with God or our cries for justice or mercy. And as the psalmist’s words embody
our feelings and sentiments, they also lead us to a better understanding of God and a
deeper encounter with him. Whether we would sing with abandon or cry out feeling
abandoned, the Psalms are faithful companions, and we do well to visit them often.
While we feel welcome visiting with the psalmists, we are sometimes well aware
that we are visitors. They speak of geography that we have not visited, countries no
longer on the map, and weapons from the wars of days gone by. We live with different
political structures and social institutions. Certain turns of phrase are understandable
but have a foreign ring. Nevertheless, the Psalms still speak powerfully to us with a
timeless essence and an open invitation.
Our hope is for this volume to be an unobtrusive yet vital companion as you read
the Psalms. While we do not aim to explain every poetic line, we do hope to help
you select where to visit and to provide a basic orientation as you read each psalm. We
point out essential elements and shed light on occasional phrases or identify relevant
information about the setting.

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In This Book
F ollowing the introduction, we present the following information on the Psalms
as an aid to reading them in your Bible.

Theme: States the main idea of the psalm


Type: Classifies the psalm by its literary type, such as lament by an individual,
hymn of thanksgiving, praise, royal, etc.
Author: Supplies information about the author, musical notations, and histori-
cal notes
Background: Elaborates on the historical or theological background of the
psalm and its connections to other biblical passages
Structure: Describes how the lines of poetry are grouped into stanzas and
gives a basic sketch of the f low of thought
Special Notes: Makes miscellaneous comments on words or phrases in the
psalm
Reflection: Applies the concepts or images in the psalm and their significance
for us today

Following is an explanation of the categories mentioned above, as well as a general


orientation to the book of Psalms and its poetry.

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Perspectives
on the Psalter
The Psalms as Songs
The original Hebrew title of the book, Tehillim (pronounced te-hil-léem), labels the
Psalms as “praises,” and truly they are to be sung. David is known for playing the
harp, and the Psalms refer to several more instruments: lyre, lute, trumpet, timbrel,
horn, and cymbals. These would not have been like the modern instruments of the
same name, but they are clearly used to accompany the singing of the Psalms in public
worship: “come before him with joyful songs” (100:2); “praise him with timbrel and
dancing” (150:4).
The Psalms were sung on general occasions of public assembly for worship, includ-
ing the specific occasions of religious festivals, such as Passover. But they were also
sung as pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem to worship. It is natural to assume that families
did not limit singing such psalms to the actual festival day, but would learn and prac-
tice them in other settings, such as at home and in private as preparation and personal
expression. Yes, they were for public worship, but not exclusively so. They were — ​and
still are today — ​g reat teaching tools and good memory aids that brought a message
to mind.
For example, Moses taught the ­people a song (Deut. 32) as a teaching tool in light
of their tendency to rebel (31:19). It recalled God’s acts, pointed out his character,
reminded Israel of their intended relationship with God, condemned their rebellion,
proclaimed judgment, and forecasted restoration. It was to be performed in public
and sung by the community. But it was also intended for continued ref lection by
families and individuals. Public singing is important for the purpose of worship, but
its prominent place in community life serves as strong affirmation that songs can also
be integral in teaching the community.

The Psalms as Ceremony


Many psalms may have been sung by a choir or the congregation as if they were one
voice — ​a simple presentation. Others ref lect ceremonies with more than one speaker.
They may have been for religious holidays or royal ceremonies, or they may incorpo-
rate a priestly or prophetic voice speaking to the community (cf. Pss. 20, 62, 91). Thus
a psalm may shift from addressing God to addressing the ­people or an individual; from
speaking as “we” to speaking as “I”; from speaking to God, to God speaking. Such
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psalms remind us that we are not alone in the walk God, as indeed, the king himself was to be a role
of faith; we are not the only voice. Rather, we are model for the people in obeying and worshiping
in community and in relationship with God. God. Thus, while at times subjects need to respect
the difference between themselves and the king,
they are also invited into these psalms.
The Psalms as Prayers
Psalm 72 is followed by the closing remark, “This
concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.” The Psalms as Book
Clearly, not all of the Psalms are for worship or The Psalms come to us today in the form of a
ceremonies. Many psalms are cries to God for book made up of five smaller books (Pss. 1 – 41,
help and deliverance. They are prayers set in the 42 – 72, 73 – 89, 90 – 106, and 107 – 150). It does
form of poetry. They are personal, filled with not have a musical score and does not begin with
the anxieties of real hardships, but often stated a hymn or a prayer. Psalm 1 acts as an introduc-
in generalized terms so that others can say the tion to the whole book. In addition, the begin-
same words while ref lecting on their own per- ning and ending psalm of each of the five books
sonal crises. are often considered key thematic transitions.
Sometimes the prayers ref lect the specific con- While it would be making too much of the orga-
cerns of the Davidic king. In these cases ­people nization of the Psalter to try to find a tight con-
were called into community, to enter the prayer nection between each psalm and its neighboring
as loyal subjects of the Lord’s anointed. The com- psalms, they are no longer isolated songs, but a
munity shared common enemies and other con- collection of poems comprising a book for con-
cerns with the king and was concerned for the templation.
king, having a stake in his fortunes before God. This book of five books has songs, ceremo-
For as God deals with his anointed, all his follow- nies, and prayers. So sing them, perform them,
ers are affected. The king’s prayers serve as models pray them, and study them. You will never reach
for how the rest of the community may approach their depths or come up dry.

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Groups of Psalms
in the Psalter
S everal characteristics suggest connecting certain psalms into groups. The Psalter
is divided into five books, which is a clear set of groups. Others share the same
author, such as Asaph or the Sons of Korah. Still others are of a similar type;
that is, they have common internal characteristics regardless of author or place in the
Psalter, for example, laments. Our presentation of the Psalms classifies them accord-
ing to the types explained below. We also describe each Psalm’s structure, referring
to the communication roles of the units of each psalm. (See the quick reference chart
Common Elements of the Psalms.)

Types of Psalms
The Psalms are grouped into different types, called genres, based on the kinds of
things they say, the emotional mood they invoke, and how they depict certain speak-
ers, such as the whole community, or an individual, or perhaps the king. The main
types include praise hymns, laments, psalms that instruct, those specifically for liturgi-
cal use, and those for the king. We can divide these types into smaller categories. But
at some point we realize these are artificial categories, because the ancient poets could
and did write creatively. They might omit or add to the “normal” elements, rearrange
the sequences of parts, mix two “types,” or cross the general “boundaries” that we see
now. Nonetheless, collecting them in certain groups is helpful, because it allows us to
see common elements, trends, and meaningful variations.

Hymns
When we call certain psalms hymns, we do not mean the same sort of songs that one
finds in a hymnal. The hymnal evokes a certain kind of musical style and contains
songs that usually have several verses plus a chorus that repeats. The word hymn means
a song of praise. Psalms that are hymns of praise can vary in their poetic design and
be sung as a community “we” or an individual “I,” but their basic content is to praise
God. The hymns can be divided into groups: hymns of praise, hymns of thanksgiving,
hymns of the Lord’s kingship, and Zion songs.

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Hymns of Praise differently, but we have chosen to indicate the
mixture in the title.
The generic category of hymn includes various
types of hymns that have additional characteris-
tics in the way they offer praise. Hymns of praise Hymns of the Lord’s Kingship
may include three main communication tasks: Another subcategory of the hymns of praise is
calls to praise, motivation to praise, and praise itself. hymns of the Lord’s kingship, also known as
Calls to praise invite or instruct others to give enthronement hymns. They celebrate in particu-
praise to the Lord. Motivation to praise means lar the Lord’s kingship and tend to use the phrase
the psalmist provides reasons or motives to give “the Lord reigns” to refer to his throne and tell
praise to the Lord. Besides variation in con- of the establishment or extent of his rule.
struction, the hymns can emphasize these three
aspects in different amounts. For example, some Hymns: Zion Songs
hymns of praise are exclusively calls to praise. The title “Zion songs” comes from Psalm 137:3.
Songs of Zion are hymns of praise that emphasize
Hymns of Thanksgiving the location of Zion, another name for Jerusalem.
Even though the English word “thank” appears King David made Jerusalem his capital, and the
frequently in Bible translations, Hebrew does not Lord chose it (cf. Deut. 12:3 – 28) as the place for
actually have a word that means to thank. The the temple that was built under David’s son, King
word usually translated “thank” means some- Solomon. The temple, and especially the ark of
thing more like “praise,” “confess,” or “give the covenant, symbolized God’s presence on
credit to.” The distinguishing feature of the earth. (The ark of the covenant had been made
hymns of thanksgiving is that they give credit under Moses’ leadership and was normally kept
to God for what he has done in someone’s life. in the tabernacle from the time it was built after
While a generic hymn of praise might empha- Israel received the Law at Mount Sinai until the
size describing God’s awesome characteristics, temple was built.) The Lord lives and reigns in
the person singing the hymn of thanksgiving has heaven and rules over all the earth, but Jerusalem
a story to tell or a report to make on how God is seen as a special place of connection between
acted in his or her life. Hymns of thanksgiving his heavenly and earthly sovereignty. Since many
are often subdivided into individual thanksgiv- psalms mention Zion, classifying them as Zion
ing and communal thanksgiving, depending on songs is partly a judgment call in light of how
whether the speaker is a first person singular “I” much Jerusalem is emphasized as well as whether
or plural “we.” Some psalms have both, which they are hymns of praise.
typically means there were roles for a leader as
well as for the assembled p­ eople. Laments/Cries for Help:
Individual or Communal
Hymns of Praise/Thanksgiving The most common type of psalm is the lament.
Hymns of praise or thanksgiving are psalms that Sometimes called complaint psalms, the essen-
have some thanksgiving elements as well as other tial element is the cry for help during distress.
characteristics of hymns of praise. That is, at least The English terms lament and grief can refer to
part of these hymns report or refer to how God mourning in connection with a death, but they
should be credited for acting in the life of a per- are not exclusively tied to mourning and funer-
son or the nation. Some may classify these psalms als. When describing psalms, the term lament is
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used in the broader sense of an expression of sor- Royal Psalms
row, grief, or disappointment. Lament psalms
A royal psalm is one that involves the king and
tell of a person’s or community’s lamenting in
may also belong to another category. That is, the
their distress as they turn to God for help. This
king may be the speaker in a lament psalm or
kind of complaint is not like the grumbling and
hymn of praise or thanksgiving. But some psalms
complaining of Israel in the wilderness. There
they complained against God while speaking to have an exclusively royal nature, perhaps being
each other with bad attitudes. In the laments the about the coronation of the king, God’s covenant
psalmists complain of their situation. And though with the line of David, or the royal wedding, or
freely expressing their disappointment with God, being a prayer for the king made by the com-
they are turning to him, not away. munity. These latter kinds of psalms are classi-
The components of lament psalms may per- fied only as royal psalms. Sometimes it is difficult
form several communication roles: initial appeal to be certain whether the king is an intended
to be heard, lament over distress, accusation speaker in a given psalm; therefore not everyone
against enemies, complaint against God, claim of is in agreement about how many psalms involve
innocence or loyalty, confession of sin, petition, the king. Often the list is limited to those that
imprecation, motivation to answer, statement of specif ically mention “king,” “anointed,” or
confidence, and vow to praise God. A lament “David.” Ours is expanded, and additionally we
psalm does not necessarily have all of these ele- list several psalms as possibly royal. Being a royal
ments, and their order may vary. But these labels psalm is also not simply a matter of authorship.
(brief ly described in the quick reference charts) A psalm may be ascribed to David but be from a
provide a helpful way to track the general f low time while Saul was still king and be preserved as
of thought. In addition, two perennial questions an example for how anyone might pray in similar
permeate the lament psalms: “Why?” and “How circumstances.
long?” Why is this happening? How long will
it last? Typically these questions occur in the Liturgy Psalms
lament, accusation, or complaint sections. They When describing liturgy psalms, liturgy does not
emphasize the distress and angst that characterize mean the order of a religious ser­v ice or simply
this category of psalm. use in a ser­v ice. A hymn that is basically a call
to praise may have appeared in a ser­v ice prior
Psalms of Confidence to hymns of praise or testimonies of thanksgiv-
Because psalms of lament typically have a state- ing made by the worshipers. In fact, several types
ment of confidence, psalms of confidence are may have appeared in the order of a ser­v ice, so if
often considered to have developed from laments use in a ser­v ice were the only criteria, we would
into a category of their own. They may still have probably have to classify all 150 psalms as litur-
brief elements of petition, reference to difficul- gical. Instead, the key characteristic behind this
ties or enemies, or affirmations of loyalty, but in label is that the psalm contains roles for different
the main they speak of confidence in the Lord’s speakers. Several speakers, or speaking voices,
care and protection (cf. Ps. 23). They may sound appear in the Psalter: individuals, such as the
similar to a hymn of thanksgiving, but the hymn king, a priest or prophet, the common worshiper,
of thanksgiving tells of a story from the past enemies, or even God, and also groups, such as
while the hymn of confidence projects into the the assembled community, ­people approaching
future. or leaving Jerusalem, priests, or the gatekeepers.
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Some psalms have a deliberate interplay between s­ uperscriptions is not as clear to us as we would
two or more of these voices. But, for example, like. One result is that many Bible translations
the recitation of the enemies’ words are not litur- simply take some of the Hebrew words and spell
gical. However, when a psalm envisions multiple them with English letters, such as miktam (Pss. 16,
parties in its performance for a ser­v ice or invites 56 – 60). The unfamiliar Hebrew words and the
the meditative reader to view it so, we call it uncertainty of some of their meanings will make
liturgical. this section seem a bit more technical than the
rest of the introduction. A list of unusual terms
Instructional and in the Psalter appears at the end of this section
with pronunciation guides and possible meanings
Wisdom Psalms (see page 29).
Most often the psalmists address God, crying out
for help or responding in praise. Sometimes they
address ­people, such as making a call to the com- Persons
munity to praise God, or the priest and ­people The ­people in the superscriptions include the
address each other. Beyond these exchanges, position of “director” and several ­people men-
quite a few psalms have at least a section in which tioned by name: David, Asaph, the Sons of Korah,
they instruct. The teaching may or may not be Moses, Solomon, Ethan, and Heman. The term
like a prophetic word and may address the king, “director” or “leader” comes from the Hebrew
the ­people, or even foreigners. These teaching menatstseah (meh-nahts-tsay-akh). The phrase
portions are most often embedded in psalms “for the director” occurs in fifty-five superscrip-
classified as other types. Therefore most of the tions, all but once as the first word. Every occur-
psalms that are called “mixed” in type are in part rence is in a psalm of David, Asaph, or the Sons
instructional. A smaller number have some more of Korah. Furthermore, these are the only psalms
specific characteristics like proverbs and other that mention other musical aspects. This person
wisdom literature in the Bible. These are often seems to be some kind of “director of music”
called wisdom psalms. (NIV), such as a “choir director” (NASB) or pos-
sibly a master of ceremonies, though some have
wondered whether the “leader” could relate to a
Collections and role for the king or other official.
Arrangements in At first glance, the personal names mentioned
in the superscriptions appear to be authors. But
the Psalter the personal names are preceded by the same
Hebrew preposition as the “director,” and in one
Superscriptions psalm more than one name is mentioned (Ps. 88
Classifying the Psalms according to their type, mentions the Sons of Korah and Heman). This
or genre, helps us get a handle on several things, preposition (Heb., le) could mean “by,” “for,” or
but these are our modern labels. Most of the 150 “about.” So if the Psalm is “le David,” it could
psalms come with their own headings, called mean it is written by David, written or collected
superscriptions. These may contain references for David, or written about David or the Davidic
to persons, historical information, classifica- line. And quite possibly it does not mean the
tions, or musical aspects. They can also be used same thing in each case. Some may be by David
to place the Psalms into groups. Unfortunately, while others are for or about David or the reign-
the meaning of much of the material in the ing king of the Davidic dynasty. (Both the Dead
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Sea Scrolls’ copies of the Psalms and the ancient day.” Psalm 100 is “For giving grateful praise.”
Greek translation, the Septuagint, position “le And Psalm 102 is “A prayer of an aff licted man.
David” in front of more Psalms than our Bibles, When he is faint and pours out his lament before
which may indicate that scribes had been adding the Lord” (NIV).
this title to Psalms for their own purposes.)
Of the ­people named in the superscriptions,
Classifications
David, Solomon, and Moses are well known, as is
David’s reputation as a musician and songwriter. The meaning of the classifications is not always
The lesser-known names go back to appoint- clear, so the translations often use the Hebrew
ments made by David. The Sons of Korah reach words instead of a translation. The three most
back to the time of Moses. Korah led a rebel- common classifications are (1) mizmor, “psalm”;
lion (Num. 16) and was swallowed up in an (2) shir, “song”; and (3) maskil, which seems to
earthquake, but his sons survived (Num. 26:11). mean for skilled playing or for giving under-
They and their descendents served as Levites. standing (since the root of the word relates to skill
They supported David during the time of Saul or understanding). A special category of “songs”
(1 Chron. 12:6), and David appointed them as is the “Songs of Ascents,” Psalms 120 – 134. The
gatekeepers for the temple (1  Chron. 26:19), a exact difference between a “psalm” and a “song”
position they resumed after the exile (1 Chron. is not completely certain, and some psalms are
9:19). David also appointed Asaph, a seer who classified as both. Possibly the title “psalm” (miz-
prophesied, as chief musician (1  Chron. 16:5, mor) refers to instrumentation and “song” (shir)
7, 37; 25:2; 2  Chron. 29:30; Neh. 12:46) and refers to a vocal element, which would explain
appointed others, including Heman and Ethan why both can be applied to the same compo-
(1 Chron. 15:19). The descendants of Asaph also sition. Both “psalm” (mizmor) and “song” (shir)
resumed their duties after the exile (Ezra 2:41). appear in psalms that are laments as well as
hymns and other types. Maskil also appears as the
heading in several types of psalms, though it has
Historical Information not been applied to any hymns of praise.
Historical information always occurs last in the A few psalms are labeled as a “prayer”
superscriptions and appears only in psalms of (tephillah), “praise” (tehillah), miktam, or shig-
David. Thirteen superscriptions contain histori- gaion (shig-guy-own), the meaning of the lat-
cal information (Pss. 3, 7, 18, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, ter two being quite unclear. The five psalms
57, 59, 60, 63, 142). It is not certain whether these labeled as a “prayer” (Pss. 17, 86, 90, 102, 142)
parts of the superscriptions were all penned by are all laments including petition, while the
David, were traditions preserved by the priests single psalm labeled “praise” (tehillah, Ps. 145),
and written later, or were simply interpretive is a hymn of praise. The application of the titles
suggestions made by scribes for understand- to these psalms is not surprising, but since most
ing the psalms in light of the accounts in 1 and laments and hymns are not labeled this way, the
2 Sam­uel. reason for their use in these cases is not clear.
Additionally, some psalms refer to occasions The root of the word miktam may relate this title
though not to the historical circumstances of to the idea of covering or being overwhelmed.
David’s life. Psalm 30 is for the “dedication of But even if this is so, how it applies to these
the house” (TNIV, “temple”), which might refer psalms can be imagined in many ways, leaving
to the temple or palace. Psalm 45 is a “wedding us in the dark. We can observe, however, that
song” for the king. Psalm 92 is “For the Sabbath these psalms (Ps. 16, a psalm of confidence, and
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Pss. 56 – 60, all laments) concern dire circum- Collections
stances. Psalm 7 is the only shiggaion, a variant
Leaving aside the many psalms of David, there
of which also occurs in Habakkuk 3:1. Based on
are four main subcollections within the Psalter:
its root, the term might have to do with “wan-
psalms of Asaph, psalms of the Sons of Korah,
dering,” which we could imagine musically as a
songs of ascents, and hallelujah psalms.
tune that employs a wide range of notes (wan-
dering up and down the scale). Shiggaion has also
been connected with the idea of “fervor” or
Psalms of Asaph
“passionate lament.” But these are only guesses; The psalms labeled “of Asaph” (Pss. 50, 73 – 83)
no one really knows. might also have been composed or collected
by his descendants. Thematically they devote
Musical Aspects a good deal of thought to issues of God’s jus-
Musical aspects occur only in superscriptions that tice both within Israel and in how Israel and the
also say, “For the director of music.” Psalms 4, nations relate. Stylistically, these psalms show
6, 54, 55, 61, 67, and 76 are said to be accom- a preference for referring to God by the name,
panied “with” or played “on” stringed instru- or rather title, Elohim, instead of by his name,
ments (called neginoth, neh-gee-note) and Psalm Yahweh (formerly misunderstood as Jehovah).
5 on a wind instrument (nechilot, neh-khee-lote, The Asaphite psalms include several instances of
often translated “f lute”). Possibly Psalms 6 and a prophetic or divine voice, an emphasis on his-
12 refer to an eight-stringed instrument, a type tory, and references to the covenant.
of lyre (sheminith, sheh-mee-neet). A few psalms
may refer to instrument tunings, either for male Psalms of the Sons of Korah
voices (Pss. 6 and 12, another understanding of The two Korahite collections, Psalms 42 – 49
sheminith) or for female voices (Ps. 46, which is al- and 84 – 88 (except 86), include variety, whether
alamoth, and Ps. 9, which is almut labben, though measured by the ancient classifications or by the
this is understood as a tune in the NIV). labels of modern types. They take us to the high-
Some of the material in the superscriptions est levels of confidence in several Zion songs and
may refer to musical styles, perhaps from differ- to the lowest points of discouragement in perhaps
ent cities or regions in the Near East. Examples the two darkest laments of the Psalter: Psalm 44,
include Psalms 8, 81, 84 (gittith, git-teet), Psalms a communal lament, and Psalm 88, an individual
39, 62, 77 ( jeduthun, yeh-doo-toon), Psalm 53 lament. The Sons of Korah also give us the only
(mahalath, mah-khah-lot), and Psalm 88 (mahalath wedding song in the Psalter. The first collec-
leannoth, mah-khah-lot leh-an-note). Two of the tion of Korahite psalms is like those of Asaph in
terms above, sheminith and alamoth/almut should favoring the title Elohim when referring to God;
be included in this possibility. The same is true however, the second collection favors using the
for superscriptions translated as “according to the divine name Yahweh.
tune of.” The phrase “the tune of ” is not in the
Hebrew but is sometimes supplied as a guess for Songs of Ascents
understanding the phrases that follow, such as Fifteen psalms, 120 – 134, are labeled “A Song
“Lilies” (Pss. 45, 69), “Lily of the Covenant” (Ps. of Ascents.” These songs include individual
60), or “The Doe of the Morning” (Ps. 22), but and communal laments, psalms of confidence,
the texts of these phrases are all questionable (see Zion songs, wisdom psalms, royal psalms, and
also Pss. 9, 56 – 59, 75, 80). psalms of mixed type. But the heavy emphasis

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on ­Jerusalem throughout this section, combined the Lord’s rule through the king in Jerusalem. It
with other factors, has brought the greatest sup- may have been used each time a new king was
port for the idea that these were psalms sung crowned. Thus it introduces us to the Psalter
when going on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Psalm with royal concerns, which are visited again at
122 explicitly talks of pilgrimage (cf. Ex. 24:13; key points in the book. Psalm 2 was probably
34:23; Lev.  23:4 – 8; and Deut. 16 on religious placed as the introduction to book 1, while Psalm
journeys to Jerusalem). The central psalm of this 1 was placed as an introduction to the whole
group, Psalm 127, has been associated with Sol- Psalter. Yet the blessings beginning Psalm 1 and
omon for its mention of the “house,” taken to concluding Psalm 2 act as brackets around them,
mean the temple. A number have harvest imag- encouraging us to read them together.
ery, which suggests the Feast of Tabernacles. And After the anonymous Psalms 1 and 2, nearly
later Jewish tradition suggests that the Levites, at all the psalms in book 1 are “of David.” The
some point after the return from exile, sang these exceptions are Psalms 10 and 33, which have no
fifteen psalms during the Feast of Tabernacles as superscription. Psalm 10 is actually part of Psalm
they went up the fifteen steps between the outer 9. Psalm 33 begins very similarly to the end of
courts of the temple. This does not mean that Psalm 32, which probably accounts for it being
they were originally composed as one group or placed there. But in the main, book 1 is a collec-
that they were the only psalms ever sung on a tion of Davidic psalms following a royal psalm.
pilgrimage, but that they became associated over Book 1 has several more royal psalms, several
time, and tradition grouped them together. instructional psalms, and twice as many laments
as hymns. References to God are predominantly
Hallelujah Psalms by his name Yahweh.
Fifteen psalms either begin or end, or do both, Book 2 consists primarily of psalms of the
with the Hebrew imperative halleluyah, “Praise Sons of Korah and those of David. The Korahite
the Lord.” Psalm 114 is usually included with psalms, 42 – 49, are separated from the Davidic
these because of its character and in part on the psalms by one of Asaph, 50. Psalms 51 – 71 are
possibility that the halleluyah closing Psalm 113 mostly of David. Psalms 66 and 67 are anony-
belongs with Psalm 114. They mostly fall into mous but have superscriptions, while Psalm 71
three groups, Psalms 104 – 106, 111 – 117, and has no superscription and may belong as part of
146 – 150, but also 135. Each is anonymous, lack- Psalm 70. Psalm 72 is associated with Solomon.
ing any superscription. In general they are hymns As a royal psalm it is like a bookend with Psalm
of praise or thanksgiving, though occasionally of 2 on the other side. The general lack of literacy
mixed type. The two groups Psalms 104 – 106 and emphasis on psalms of/for David may mean
and 146 – 150 end the fourth and fifth books of that the first two books were originally meant
the Psalter. first for a royal readership. The title Elohim is far
more common than God’s name in Psalms 42 – 71
The Five Books (Elohim 183; Yahweh 31). But like book 1, there
The first two psalms of book 1 of the Psalter, are about twice as many laments as hymns, and
Psalms 1 – 41, are introductory. Psalm 1 is a wis- the number of royal and instructional psalms is
dom psalm. It advocates the study of God’s law about the same as the number of hymns.
and meditation on his Word. This encourages The seventeen psalms of book 3 are mainly
us to treat the Psalter as a book for study and psalms of Asaph (Pss. 73 – 83) and of the Sons
contemplation. Psalm 2 is royal and celebrates of Korah (Pss. 84 – 85, 87 – 88), together with

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one of David (Ps. 86) and one of Ethan (Ps. 89). ing to a liturgy (Ps. 118) and the unique Psalm
The psalms of Asaph continue in the pattern of 119, emphasizing God’s law. Psalms 120 – 134
Psalms 42 – 71, preferring the title Elohim over are psalms of ascents. The first seven and the
the name Yahweh (43 to 13), while the rest of last seven, 120 – 126 and 128 – 134, each use the
book 3, including the second section of the sons Lord’s name twenty-four times and include two
of Korah, prefers the name Yahweh (31 to 16). psalms of David, while the center psalm of the
Book 3 ends with a royal psalm, as does book group is of Solomon. Following three psalms
2, though not with such a positive outlook for without superscriptions are seven more of
the kingship. Again the number of laments is David (Pss. 138 – 145). A series of five hallelu-
about double that of hymns, while the num- jah psalms (Pss. 146 – 150) close the book. Book
ber of royal psalms is similar to the number of 5 again favors use of the Lord’s name Yahweh
hymns, but there is a higher number of instruc- over ­E lohim (236 to 31). Like book 4, it has
tional psalms. more hymns than laments (23 to 13). It also has a
The seventeen psalms of book 4, Psalms handful of royal psalms and a ­couple handfuls of
90 – 106, are mostly anonymous, but with one instructional psalms.
associated with Moses (90) and two with David When we look back on the whole Psalter, we
(101, 103). The Lord’s name, Yahweh, predomi- can see a loose amount of organization based on
nates over Elohim when referring to God (105 to names of “authors” and names of God. Royal
24). But now hymns outnumber laments three to psalms stand at key points in the first three
one (13 to 4), and there are about the same num- books. And laments diminish after book 3 in
ber of royal and instructional psalms as laments. favor of hymns in the fourth and fifth books.
Three hallelujah psalms end book 4. Each of the five books ends with a doxology
Book 5, Psalms 107 – 150, is again mostly (cf. Pss. 41:13; 72:18 – 19; 89:52; 106:48; 150:6),
anonymous but includes fifteen of David and one though the series of hallelujah psalms ending
of Solomon. Issues raised at the end of book 4 in book 5 magnifies this far more than the previ-
Psalm 106 are addressed in Psalm 107, which is ous books. Some ­people also see an emphasis on
followed by three psalms of David. Next are a eschatological hope in the broad sweep of the
series of hallelujah psalms (Pss. 111 – 117), lead- progression of the Psalms.

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The Poetry
of the Psalms
W e talk about stanzas and poetic lines, but the lines do not rhyme, and the
stanzas are not like those of modern hymns. The Hebrew poetry of the
Bible is not like English poetry. Instead of thinking of poetic lines that
have rhyming words at the end, a line of poetry from the Psalms usually has two or
three main segments. This is why many Bible translations use indentations in lines
of poetry. The first segment starts at the edge of the margin; following segments
are slightly indented. Because the segments often are wider than the margins, the
segments have to wrap around, resulting in more indentation to keep each segment
together and distinct from the others. With so much indentation, it can be easy to
lose track. Plus it is not as simple as following the verse numbers, because the verse
numbers do not necessarily match the poetic lines. Sometimes a Bible verse will have
more than one poetic line, and sometimes only part of one.
A Hebrew poetic line often has more than one segment (and may be called a
monocolon, bicolon, or tricolon, depending on whether it has one, two, or three
parts). The parts are usually brief and of similar length in Hebrew, though English
does not represent this well. Instead of rhyming, the parts of the line have a quality
called parallelism; the parts work together as sets to convey their main idea. They may
work together with the second line restating the same idea (synonymous parallelism,
e.g., Ps. 19:1), giving its opposite (antithetic parallelism, e.g., Ps. 75:10), or completing
the thought begun in the previous line (synthetic parallelism, e.g., Ps. 119:11).
Synonymous parallelism: Psalm 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Antithetic parallelism: Psalm 75:10
I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.
Synthetic parallelism: Psalm 119:11
I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.

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When several lines form a group with a simi- ing the stanzas and how their big ideas connect
lar purpose, we call that a stanza, but this is a together.
different use of the term than the arrangement The psalmists are usually very deliberate
of stanzas in a modern hymn. Because of these about the structure of their compositions. Perhaps
characteristics, a good reading strategy is to treat this is most obvious with alphabetic acrostics, in
each poetic line, bicolon or tricolon, as a package which each line starts with a successive letter
and ref lect on how the parts work together to say of the Hebrew alphabet. But it is also ref lected
an idea and give it nuances. Then proceed to the in symmetries and patterns in the length and
stanzas and consider how the lines make up a big arrangement of the stanzas. For example, Psalm
picture. Next observe how the f low of thought 147 has five stanzas. The first, third, and fifth
goes from the picture in one stanza to the next. have two lines, while the second and fourth each
The goal of the Structure sections in the entries have seven lines, making an overall pattern of
on the Psalms in part 3 is to assist with identify- 2-7-2-7-2.

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Personalizing
the Psalms
P ersonalizing the Psalms involves several conversations: with self, with Scrip-
ture, with community, and with God. By its placement, Psalm 1 advises us
that being rooted in God’s instruction is essential for our exploration and use
of the Psalms. It praises the one who delights in and meditates on the Lord’s law.
“Meditating” is actually a term of speaking, which can include talking to oneself, or
self-talk. The word for God’s “law,” torah, can mean instruction in a general sense or
be a reference to the Books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), which were
the foundation of Israel’s Bible, religious thought, and worldview. At the same time,
the Psalms themselves are intensely relational and conversational. They are usually
addressed to God and often in the setting of the community. We drink them in most
deeply in these several conversations.
When we pray a psalm, we are taking someone else’s words, from someone else’s
situation, onto our lips for our situation. The Psalms were indeed designed for this,
but beyond simply feeling attracted to certain verses, how do we go about it? When
we read, sing, or pray a psalm, we enter into a conversation. We might first find verses
that seem compelling, but we go on to read the whole psalm.
At this point we talk to ourselves, both to see if the psalm matches our situation
and if we match up to the psalm. It is not a question of finding a precise match in
circumstances. The Psalms usually use general language, precisely so that they can fit
different circumstances of similar character and be reused by other worshipers. What
is important is the character of the situation and of the one praying. This way of look-
ing at the Psalms involves looking at ourselves. Does the protestation of innocence
fit our life, or would confession of sin be the most appropriate? Complaint to God is
inherently approved in the laments, but the whining and complaining of Israel in the
books of the Law was not. Where are we? How are we directing the energy of our
disappointments?
By this time, we are also in a conversation with Scripture, in this case with Torah,
letting it speak to how we voice complaint, letting Scripture critique us in light of
its original audience. We have self-talk – examining our lives, applying the light of
Torah, and positioning ourselves in the Psalms. To own these expressions as ours, we
not only shape their words with our mouths, but we must let our spirits be guided
by their wisdom. So we copy the psalmists, changing out our particular situation for
theirs, yet follow their lead in approaching God.

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We can, then, pray the Psalms just as they time. When certain events come our way, we
are worded. In character they may fit us and we arrive at a place where some of the historical
fit them very closely. But it is also appropriate to community has already been — ​a nd has left us
pause in reading the words of the text and add words. Some in our current community have
lines that are specific to our situation. The psalm been to such places as well. Our nearness to our
might praise God or call ­people to praise, and we reasons to give thanks or our causes to lament
mention specific things God has done for us. Some may give different levels of strength and intensity
of the ancient ceremonies invited this. Or when to our voices in different parts of a psalm. We
we lament, we might let the psalmist provide the need to hear the call of others to praise and be
words that we cannot form while in our pain. Or part of a community when we lament. We ben-
in our conversation with God, we might expand efit from hearing the voices of others speak the
on those words by declaring our own specific words of the psalms we need to pray.
afflictions, still trusting the attitude of the psalmist We are also fundamentally in conversation
to shepherd us in how we speak to the Almighty. with God. The Lord is King, who reigns and is
We also see that we are in conversation with worthy of all praise. We position ourselves before
two communities, one that furnished us with him properly as worshipers. But we also lament,
prayers and one in which we pray. Accepting in impassioned expressions not content with the
the guidance of the past community of faith status quo. Unwilling to process pain without
expressed in inspired Scripture builds our world- God, we presume upon his intervention. The
view and understanding of relating to God. Psalms are about pursuing authentic relationship
There are some things, lessons and changes from with him, working through what it means to be
life experience, that we cannot know ahead of in relation with our Sovereign.

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Quick
Reference
Charts

0310286891_ebc_psalms.indd 27 4/6/10 11:39 AM


Quick Reference
Charts
Unusual Terms Found in the Psalter
“talking/meditating,” uncertain in its only application (Psalm 9),
Higgaion (hig-guy-own)
appearing before a “selah”
Maskil (mahs-kil) “skilled, understanding,” possibly requiring skilled playing
uncertain, possibly related to “covering” or being “overwhelmed.”
Miktam (mik-tahm)
(These few psalms concern dire circumstances.)
Mizmor (miz-mor) “psalm,” possibly referring to instrumental accompaniment
Neginot (neh-gee-note) stringed instruments
uncertain, possibly indicating a musical break. If so, many
Selah (say-lah)
occurrences of “selah” seem to be off by a line (in either direction).
uncertain; an eight-stringed instrument or possibly tuning the
Sheminit (sheh-mee-neet)
instrument for male voices
unknown. “Wandering” (ranging tune?) and “passionate lament” are
Shiggaion (shig-guy-own)
among the guesses
Shir (sheer) “song,” possibly referring to vocal performance
Tehillah (teh-hil-lah) “praise”
Tephillah (teh-fil-lah) “prayer”

Hebrew References to God


“God.” This is the basic word for God in its singular form. It appears
God: ’El (ale) one-fifth as frequently as Elohim. Outside the Psalter it occurs in several
compound names, such as El-Shaddai and El-Elyon.
“God,” the person who defines what it is to be deity. The form with -im
is also a plural form in Hebrew. But names are not pluralized so this is a
God: ’Elohim title using the -im form to say that the abstract concept of deity is applied
(eh-low-heem) to or realized in this person. (Human kings are also referred to as “my
lord” using the “plural” form. The -im form of ’Elohim has nothing to do
with the Trinity.)

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“My lord.” This is often used as a title for God. (Its “plural” form in Hebrew is part
Lord: ’Adonai
of its being used as a title. Human kings are sometimes referred to as “my lord”
(ah-doe-nigh)
using the “plural” form.)
This is the Lord’s name, meaning something like “he is/will be” (cp. Exod. 3:14).
Lord: Yahweh A failure to understand Jewish scribal practices led to the mistaken rendering
(Yah-way) “Jehovah,” which is still widely used today. It is a convention in many translations
to represent God’s name with “Lord,” using small caps, or sometimes with “God.”

Types of Psalms
See above for a discussion of the types of psalms. Several psalms appear in more than one list. These are
indicated by the following symbols:
(R) = Royal     (R?) = Possibly Royal     (I) = Instruction     (L) = Liturgical
* = appears in another unspecified list

8, 19 (I), 29, 33, 40* (R), 67, 100, 103, 106* (I), 107 (I), 113, 115 (I), 117, 134
Hymn: of Praise
(L), 139* (R?), 145, 146 (I), 147, 148, 149, 150
Hymn: of Praise/
9* (R), 34 (I), 65, 68, 104, 105, 111, 114, 118 (L), 135
Thanksgiving
Hymn: of Thanksgiving 18 (R), 30, 32 (I), 66, 92, 116, 124, 136, 138
Hymn: of the Lord’s
47, 93, 95 (I), 96, 97, 98, 99*
Kingship
Hymn: Zion Song 46, 48, 50 (I), 76, 84, 87, 99*, 122, 132 (R), 133 (I)
4 (I), 11 (R?), 16, 23, 27* (R)(L), 52 (I), 62 (I) (R?), 91 (I) (R?), 121 (R?), 125,
Confidence
129*
3 (R), 5, 6, 7, 9* (R), 13, 17, 22 (R), 25* (L), 26* (L), 27* (R)(L), 28* (R) (L),
31 (R?), 35, 36, 38, 39, 40* (R), 41 (I), 42-43, 51 (R), 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 63
Individual Lament
(R)(L), 64, 69, 70 (R), 71 (R), 86, 88, 102 (R?), 109, 120, 130† (I), 139* (R?),
140, 141, 142, 143
10, 12, 14 (I), 44, 53 (I), 58 (I), 60, 74, 77 (I), 79, 80, 83, 85, 90, 94 (R), 106*
Communal Lament ‡
(I), 108, 123, 126, 129*, 137
2, 3*, 9*, 18*, 20, 21, 22*, 27* (L), 28*, 40, 45, 51*, 61, 63*, 70*, 72, 89, 94*,
Royal
101, 110, 132*, 144
Possibly Royal 1*, 31*, 62* (I), 71*, 75 (I), 91* (I), 102*, 121*, 139*
Liturgy 15 (I), 24 (I), 25*, 26*, 27* (R), 28*, 118*, 131 (I), 134*
4*, 14*, 15 (L), 19*, 24 (L), 32*, 34*, 41*, 50*, 52*, 53*, 58*, 62* (R?), 63* (R), 75
Instruction
(R?), 77*, 78, 81, 82, 91* (R?), 95*, 106*, 107*, 115*, 130*, 131 (L), 133*, 146*
Wisdom 1 (R?), 37, 49, 73, 112, 119, 127, 128

† The individual lamenting in Psalm 130 addresses the community at the end of the psalm.
‡ Psalms 14, 53, and 77 have an individual speaking, but the issues concern the community, which may also have a speaking
30 role in the psalm.

0310286891_ebc_psalms.indd 30 4/6/10 11:39 AM


Common Elements of the Psalms
Explanation of Titles
Call to Praise An invitation or command to give praise to God
Motivation to Praise Reasons why God is praiseworthy or why p­ eople should join in praise
Praise Worship or thanks to God for his character or deeds
Lament A description of personal distress
Accusation Charges made against opponents or enemies
Complaint An expression to God of dissatisfaction with God
Claim of innocence An assertion of not being at fault in the matter at hand
Claim of loyalty An affirmation of commitment and desire to honor God
An admission of guilt or general sinfulness, usually connected to an appeal for
Confession of sin
mercy
Petition A request for God to act
A type of petition asking God to enact judicial penalties against unrigh­teous
Imprecation
opponents
Motivation to listen Reasons why God should answer the prayer
Statement of confidence An expression of confident hope in God
A promise to praise God for answering the prayer, which may include making
Vow to praise
offerings
Teaching, commands, or proverbial sayings directed to the human participants
Instruction/Wisdom
or audience
Prophetic Oracles God’s word to the ­people or prophetic instruction
An account of what God has done in a person’s life or in the nation that is
Testimony/History
directed to other p­ eople

Index of Verses
An asterisk indicates that one or more verses from a series appear in another list.

4:1; 5:1-2; 6:1-3; 16:1*; 17:1-2; 28:1-2; 41:4; 54:1-2; 55:1-3; 56:1a; 57:1a; 61:1, 2; 63:1,
Initial Appeal 6; 64:1a; 69:1a, 16-18; 80:1; 83:1; 86:1a; 88:1-2; 102:1-2; 130:1-2; 140:6*; 141:1-2;
142:1-3a; 143:1-2; 146:1
6:6-7; 13:1-2; 22:6-8, 14-15; 31:9-13*; 38:5-8, 9-12, 13-14; 42:1-3, 6-7; 55:4-8; 57:4;
Lament 69:1b-3, 7-12, 19-21*; 79:4; 81:13-16*; 88:3-5, 8c-9a, 15, 17; 102:3-11; 109:22-25;
116:3-4*, 10*; 120:5; 123:5-7*; 137:1-3, 4-6; 142:4; 143:4

31

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3:1-2; 4:6a; 5:9; 10:3-6, 7-11; 11:1b-3; 12:1b-2; 14:1; 17:10-12; 22:12-13, 16-18; 26:10;
31:9-13*; 35:7*, 11-16*, 20-21; 36:1-4*; 38:19-20; 41:5-9; 42:10; 52:1-4*; 53:1*,
3*, 4*; 54:3; 55:10-11, 12-14, 20-21; 56:1b-2*, 5-6; 57:6; 58:1-2, 3-5; 59:3-4a, 6-7,
Accusations
14-15; 62:3-4; 64:3-4*, 5-6; 69:4, 9-12*; 71:10-11; 73:4-12*; 74:4-8, 10; 79:1-3; 80:8-
13; 83:2-8; 86:14; 94:4-7, 20-21; 102:8; 109:2-5, 16-18; 116:11*; 120:6-7; 129:1-2a*,
3*; 140:2-3, 4c-5; 142:3b; 143:3
10:1; 22:1-2; 35:17a; (38:2-4)*; 42:1-3, 6-7, 9; 43:2; 44:9-12, 13-16, 19, 22, 24; 60:1-3,
Complaint 9-10; 69:4*, 19-21*; 74:1, 9, 11; 79:5; 80:4-6; 85:5-6; 88:6-8b, 14, 16, 18; 89:38-46,
49; 90:3-6*, 7-11; 108:10-11
Claim of 7:3-5; 16:2-4, 5-6, 7-8; 17:3-5; 25:1*, 15, 21b*; 26:1b-d, 3-8, 11a; 27:8; 31:6-8;
Innocence/Loyalty 35:13-14*; 40:9-10*; 44:17-18, 20-21; 69:4-5*;
25:7*, 11*, 18*; 38:3-5*, 17-18; 40:12*; 69:5*; 73:2-3*, 13-14*; 90:8*; 106:6-7;
Confession
130:3-4
3:7a, 8b; 4:6b; 5:8, 11; 6:4-5; 7:1, 6-8, 9-10; 9:13-14, 19-20; 10:2, 12-16; 12:1a, 3-4; 13:3;
14:7a; 16:1*; 17:6-9, 13; 20:1-5, 9; 22:11, 19-21; 25:2-7, 11, 16-21, 22; 26:1a, 2, 9, 11b;
27:7-12*; 28:2-4, 9; 30:9-10*; 31:1-5, 14-18*; 33:22; 35:1-3, 17b-c; 36:10-11, 12*; 38:1,
21-22; 39:4, 8, 10, 12*-13; 40:11-13, 16, 17*; 41:10; 43:1, 3; 44:23, 26; 51:1-2, 7-9, 10-12,
14-15, 18; 53:6; 55:9; 56:8; 59:1-2, 4b-5, 11-13; 60:5, 11; 61:4, 6-7; 64:1b, 2-4*; 65:4b;
Petition
67:1, 6-7; 68:1-3*, 4, 28, 30; 69:6, 13*-15, 29, 34; 70:1, 4, 5*; 71:1b-4, 9, 12, 18; 72:1-;
74:2-3, 18-23; 79:6, 8-9; 80:2-4*, 7, 14, 15-20; 82:8; 83:9-18; 84:8-9; 85:4, 7; 86:2*,
3a, 4a, 6, 11, 16-17*; 89:47a, 50a; 90:12-17; 94:1-2; 102:18-22, 24*; 104:34; 106:4-5, 47;
108:6, 12; 109:1, 21, 26-28a; 118:25; 120:2; 123:5*; 125:4-5; 126:4-6; 132:1, 10; 139:23-
24; 140:1, 4a-b, 8; 141:3-5c, 8b, 9; 142:5-7a*; 143:7-10*, 11-12; 144:5-8, 11; 149:6-9
3:7b-8; 5:4-6; 7:2; 13:4; 22:3-5, 9-10; 35:7-10*; 38:2-4*; 39:10b-11, 12*; 40:12*, 17*;
Motivation to 44:24*-25; 51:16-17, 19; 56:1b-2*; 57:1b-d*; 61:3, 5; 67:2; 70:5*; 71:5-8*, 10-11, 17;
Answer 79:7, 10a; 83:2*; 86:1b, 2*, 3a*, 3b, 4b-5, 13, 15, 17b-c; 86:10-12; 89:47b-48, 50b-51;
90:14b, 15b, 16b; 94:3; 123:1*, 2-4*, 5-7*; 141:8; 142:5-7a*; 143:5-6, 7-10*, 11-12
5:10; 28:4*; 31:14-18*; 35:4-6, 8*, 19; 36:12*; 40:14-15; 54:5; 55:15; 56:7*; 58:6-8;
Imprecations 69:22-28; 70:2-3; 71:13; 79:10b-12; 104:35; 109:6-15, 19-20, 28b-29; 120:3-4; 129:5-
8b; 137:7-9; 139:19-20; 140:9-11; 141:9
7:17*; 13:6; 14:7b-c; 22:22; 26:12b; 30:12b; 34:1; 35:9-10, 18; 43:4; 51:13; 54:6; 56:12;
Vows 57:9-10*; 61:8; 63:2-5; 65:1*; 66:13-15; 69:30; 71:14-16*; 73:28*; 75:9*; 79:13; 86:12;
104:33; 108:1b-3; 109:30; 111:1b-c; 116:13-14, 17-18; 144:9-10
3:3-6, 8; 4:2-5, 7-8; 5:3-7, 12; 6:8-10; 7:11-13,* 14-16,* 17*; 9:15-18; 10:17-18;
11:1a&7, 4-6*; 12:7-8; 13:5; 16:9-11; 17:14-15; 20:6*, 7-8; 21:7-12; 22:25-31; 23:1-6;
25:1*; 26:12a; 27:1-6, 10, 13; 28:5, 8; 31:19-20; 33:20-21; 34:2; 36:5-9*; 38:15-16; 39:7;
41:11-13; 42:(4), 8; 44:4-8; 46:1-9, 11; 48:8; 51:3-6; 52:8-9; 54:4; 55:16-19, 23e; 56:3-
Statements of
4, 9, 10-11; 57:1b-d,* 2-3, 7-8; 58:9-11; 59:8, 9, 10, 16, 17; 60:4, 12; 62:1-2, 5-6, 7;
Confidence
63:7-10; 64:7-9, 10; 68:21-23, 29, 31; 69:13a, 35-36; 71:1a, 5-7*, 14-16*, 19-21, 22-24;
73:23-28*; 75:9-10; 86:7; 88:9b-c, 13; 91:2; 92:9-11, 12-15; 94:12-15*, 22-23; 102:12-
17, 28*; 108:1a, 13; 115:12-18; 116:15-16; 121:1-8; 123:1*, 2-4*; 125:1-2*; 129:8c;
130:5-6; 134:3; 138:1-2a*, 6-8; 140:6*-7, 12-13; 141:5d-7; 142:7b; 144:12-14, 15

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2:10-12*; 9:11-12; 22:23; 29:1-2; 30:4-5; 33:1-3; 34:3; 47:1, 6; 48:12-13; 66:1-2, 5,
8, 16; 67:3-5; 68:3*, 4(-6), 32-34; 81:1-3; 92:1-3; 95:1-2, 6; 96:1-3, 7-9, 10-12; 97:1;
98:1a, 4-6, 7-9a; 99:1b, 1d, 2b-3, 5, 9; 100:1-2, 4; 103:1-2, 20-22; 104:1a, 35b; 105:1-
Call to Praise
4, 5-6; 106:1-3; 107:1-3; 111:1a; 112:1a; 113:1-3; 116:12*; 117:1; 118:1-4, 29; 132:6-9;
134:1-2; 135:1-3, 19-20; 136:1-3, 26; 138:45; 145:21; 147:1, 7, 12; 148:1-13*; 149:1-3,
5; 150:1-6
8:1-8*; 9:1-10; 18:1-50*; 19:1-6; 21:1-6, 13; 24:1-2; 28:6-7*; 30:1-3, 6-12*; 31:21-22;
33:4-11*; 34:4*, 6*; (39:5); 40:1-3, 5; 44:1-3; 46:4-6, 8-9; 47:2-4*, 5, 7-9; 48:1-3,
4-7, 9-10; 54:7*; 56:13*; 57:5, 10*, 11; 65:1-2, 5-13; 66:3-4*, 6-7*, 9-12*, 17-20*;
68:5-6*, 11-14*, 15-18*, 19-20, 24-27*, 35; 74:12-17; 75:1; 76:1-10; 77:11b-20; 84:1-
3, 11; 85:1-3, 10-13; 86:8-10; 89:1-2, 5-14, 52, 53; 90:1-2, 3-6*; 92:4-7, 8; 93:1-5;
Praise
95:3-5; 96:4-6*, 13*; 97:2-6, 9*; 99:1a, 1c, 2a, 4, 6-8; 100:5*; 102:25-27*; 103:3-6,
19; 104:1b-30, 31-32; 105:7-45; 106:48; 107:4-9*, 10-16*, 17-22*, 23-32*, 33-41*;
108:4*, 5; 109:31*; 111:2-9; 113:4-9; 114:1-8*; 116:5-6*, 8-9; 118:14*, 16*, 21*,
22-24, 28; 124:1-5, 6-9; 126:1-3; 129:2b*, 4; 135:4-7, 8-14, 21; 136:4-25; 138:1-3*;
139:1-18; 144:1-2, 3-4; 145:1-20; 146:2, 5-9*, 10; 147:2-6, 8-9*, 13-20*; 148:14
22:24; 29:3-9, 10-11; 47:2-4*; 48:14; 54:7*; 67:4b-c*; 68:5-6*; 81:4-5; 95:7a-c; 96:4-
Motivation to
6*, 13*; 98:1b-3, 9b-d; 99:5c*, 9c*; 100:5*; 108:4; 117:2; 147:13-20*; 148:6*, 13*;
Praise
149:4
1:1-6; 2:1-12; 7:11-13,* 14-16*; 8:1b-7*; 11:4-6*; 14:2-6; 15:1-5*; 19:7-9,10-14; 24:3-
6*, 7-10*; 25:8-10*, 12-14*; 31:23-24; 32:1-2, 6-7, 8-9*, 10-11; 33:4-11*, 12-15,
16-19; 34:5, 7, 8-14, 15-18, 19-21; 36:1-4*, 5-9*; 37:1-40; 39:6*; 40:4, 6-8*; 41:1-3;
42:5, 11; 43:5; 49:1-20; 50:1-6*; 52:1-4*, 5-7; 53:1-6; 55:22-23; 62:8, 9-10; 63:11;
Instruction/ 65:4; 66:18*; 68:15-18; 69:31-33; 73:1-28; 75:2-5, 6-8; 76:11; 77:1-11a; 78:1-72*;
Wisdom 81:6-16; 82:1-7; 84:4, 5-7, 10, 12; 85:8-9; 87:1-7; 89:15-18; 91:1, 3-8, 9-13; 94:8-11,
12-15*; 95:7d-11; 97:7, 10-12; 100:3; 103:7-18; 107:42-43; 109:31*; 111:10; 112:1b-10;
114:5-8*; 115:1-8, 9-11; 116:5-6*, 7; 118:8-10*; 119:1-176; 125:1-2*, 3; 127:1-2, 3-5;
128:1-3, 4-6; 130:7-8; 131:3; 133:1-3; 135:15-18; 144:15; 146:3-4, 5-9*; 147:8-9*,
10-11
12:5-6; 20:6*; 25:8-10*, 12-14*; 27:14; 32:8-9*; 39:6*; 46:10; 50:7-23; 60:6-8; 89:3-
Prophetic Oracles
4, 19-37; 91:14-16; 108:7-9; 110:1-7; 121:3-8; 132:2-5, 11-12, 13-16, 17-18
30:6-12*; 32:3-5; 34:4*, 6*; 39:1-3, 9; 40:7-10*; 65:3*; 66:6-7*, 9-12*, 17-20*; 68:7-
10, 11-14, 24-27*; 73:2-28*; 78:9-72*; 94:16-19; 97:8-9*; 101:1-8*; 102:23-28*;
Testimony/History
105:12-41*; 106:6-46; 107:4-9*, 10-16*, 17-22*, 23-32*, 33-41*; 114:1-4*; 116:1-9*,
10-11*; 118:5-7, 8-21*; 120:1; 124:1-5, 6-9; 129:1-4*

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The
Psalms

0310286891_ebc_psalms.indd 35 4/6/10 11:39 AM


Psalm 1
Theme: A righ­teous individual is established from the choice in
and prospers by attending to God’s Word. verses 1 – 2. Verses 5 – 6
directly contrast the
Type: Wisdom, possibly royal. fate of the wicked and
the righ­teous.
Author: Unknown.
Special Notes: Chaff
Background: Most Israelites did not own refers to the dry frag-
scrolls and did not have a copy of the law ments of the shell-type
of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy). cover ings of grain
Only priests, scribes, perhaps the very rich, seeds. After the cov-
and the king had regular access to the writ- erings are broken off,
ten Word of God. Deuteronomy 17:18 – 20 the light chaff and the
instructed the king to make his own copy heavy seeds are sepa-
of the Law. He was to read it every day to rated by tossing them
learn to fear and obey God so that he and his into the air so that the
descendants would prosper. Psalm 1 admon- wind blows away the
ishes him to read God’s Law regularly to chaff.
differentiate between wickedness and righ­ Law. The Psalms’
teous­ness in order to prosper, and it implies poetry typically uses
the Psalter should be read in a similar light. different words with
similar meanings to
Structure: The psalm has three parts, each refer to the same idea.
containing a contrast. Verses 1 – 2 contrast Here the word Law, or
the inf luence one chooses, the counsel of Torah, is used in both
the wicked or the Law of God. Verses 3 – 4 parts of verse 2. Torah Joseph Sohm–Visions of America/Getty
contrast a well-watered tree with chaff as an is also the Hebrew title Images

image of the enduring strength that comes for the “Law of Moses.”

Reflection: Like the theme song of an album, Psalm 1 sets a tone for reading the Psalter;
it places us at a fork in life’s road. We’re invited by way of metaphors to consider the paths
and where they lead. One is living, f lourishing — ​a vibrant fruit tree; the other is dead — ​
empty hulls, chaff blowing away in the wind. Like poetic commentary on Deuteronomy
30:19 – 20, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life. . . .
For the Lord is your life,” righ­teous­ness and wickedness parallel life and death. Everyone
with access to the written Word of God should follow the example in the psalm. Study and
meditation are necessary for knowing God’s ways, but in turn God “watches over the way
of the righ­teous.” God says through this song, “Stay in the way of the righ­teous. I will plant
you like a well-watered tree, and you will be blessed.”
37

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Psalm 2
Theme: The Lord has established his king on
Zion. Worship the Lord; honor the king.

Type: Royal.

Author: Unknown.

Background: Likely used when crown-


ing the king, perhaps first for Solomon and
subsequently for all the sons of David. But
it was not necessarily limited to the king’s
coronation ceremony.

Structure: The psalm has four main sec-


tions with three verses each. Stanza 1
(vv.  1 – 3) poses the problem of planned
rebellion. Stanza 2 (vv. 4 – 6) responds with
the Lord’s self-assured attitude. Stanza 3
(vv. 7 – 9) extends that perspective with the
king’s confidence in the Lord’s support.
Finally, stanza 4 (vv. 10 – 12) admonishes the
­people of the proper response to the Lord
and the king.

Special Notes: The psalm makes several


points by reporting the words of different
­people. Foreign rulers speak in section 1; the
Lord speaks in section 2; the king speaks and
quotes the Lord in section 3. Section 4 is like
the words of a herald addressing the ­people.
PlanetArt

Reflection: We may ref lect on the psalm with a question for each stanza. Stanza 1: What
do ­people think they can do? Stanza 2: What does God think of their ideas? Stanza 3: Who
is in charge? Stanza 4: So how should we respond?
When plans are being laid and ­people are taking sides but the outcome is not known,
it may be tempting to follow a particular group. But the greatest freedom and security are
found under the authority of God.
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Psalm 3
Theme: The king is very confident in God’s his “holy mountain,” a reference to Jerusa-
protection, despite many opponents who say lem that also echoes Psalm 2:6. While the
God will not deliver him. picture surely looked bleak for David when
he had to f lee the capital city, he expressed
Type: Individual lament, royal. a great degree of confidence in his ability to
lie down and sleep in verse 5, a picture that
Author: A psalm (mizmor) of David. When occurs only here and in Psalm 4:8. It has led
he f led from his son Absalom. some to view Psalm 3 as a morning prayer
and Psalm 4 as an evening prayer.
Background: Second Samuel 15 – 18 records
when David f led from his rebelling
son Absalom to the wilderness of
Judah. Absalom succeeded in taking
the throne temporarily but was later
killed in battle.

Structure: The psalm has five sec-


tions. It begins with a complaint,
verses 1 – 2, then moves to its main
element in two statements of confi-
dence in verses 3 – 4 and 5 – 6. Verse
7 delivers the petition. In conclu-
sion the king affirms God and prays
for his blessing on the ­people in
verse 8.

Special Notes: David had to leave


Jerusalem, but God heard him from
AP/Wide World Photos

Reflection: Immediately after the first two introductory psalms, a coup d’état in the royal
family catches us by surprise. Rebellion and conf lict come not from the nations in Psalm 2
nor from a rival king, but from betrayal within David’s own house. The anointed king, far
from ruling with a rod of iron or dashing enemies like pottery, f lees to old familiar haunts
in the wilderness. There he remembers the Lord’s deliverance from the hand of Saul. He
remembers the Lord, his shield, and turns to him.
How often has the greatest grief come from within our own families, our own commu-
nities of faith — ​a llies turning antagonists, friends becoming betrayers? David has preceded
us in such circumstances and given us words.
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Psalm 4
Background: The specific background is
uncertain, but the phrase “lie down and
sleep” provides a link to Psalm 3, which is
traditionally related to David’s conf lict with
Absalom (2 Sam. 15 – 18).

Structure:The psalm has five sections. The


psalm begins with an initial appeal for God
to listen in verse 1. Then it shifts to address
the ­people with a rhetorical question in verse
2 and answers the question by proclaiming
confidence that God hears the “faithful ser-
vant” (perhaps originally meaning the king)
© U.P.images/www.istockphoto.com
in verse 3. In the third section, the psalmist
admonishes the ­people to fidelity to the Lord
Theme: God hears the godly; David will (vv.  4 – 5). Next he contrasts the hopeless
entrust himself to God. thoughts of others with a confident request
for the Lord’s attention (vv. 6 – 7). In the last
Type: Mixed: confidence, instruction. The section, the psalmist makes himself an exam-
initial call for deliverance and presence ple of trusting the Lord (v. 8).
of opponents in the psalm suggests it is a
lament, but the bulk of the psalm expresses Special Notes:Lying down to sleep as a pic-
confidence in God. Half the psalm does not ture of confidence occurs only here and in
address God but acts as instruction to the Psalm 3:5. It has led some to view Psalm 3 as
­people. a morning prayer and Psalm 4 as an evening
prayer.
Author: A psalm (mizmor) of David. For the Paul quotes the Greek translation of
director of music. With stringed instruments. Psalm 4:4 in Ephesians 4:26.

Reflection:One of the early church fathers, Chrysostom, once said that if he could preach
to the whole world, he would choose Psalm 4:2.† This verse presents God’s perennial
lament: “How long will you men turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delu-
sions and seek false gods?” How profound that the God of the universe should lament to us.
Also, the psalmist, while in the nexus between distress and deliverance, chooses to stand
in confidence: he “hears when I call to him” (v. 3); “You alone, Lord, make me dwell in
safety” (v. 8). His fear, mentioned in the previous psalm, has subsided. With confidence he
prays, “Give me relief from my distress” (v. 1), and lies down to rest in safety. Confidence
joined to faith is a great sleep aid.

† See Thomas Brooks (1608–80), The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks, vol. 4, ed. Alexander Balloch Grosart
40
(Edinburgh: J. Nichol, 1867), 35.

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Psalm 5
Theme:God does not tolerate the wicked but being for the Davidic heir rather than for
protects those who trust him. David himself, since the temple was not
built in David’s lifetime. David, however,
Type: Individual lament. might be referring to the Lord’s heavenly
temple.
Author: A psalm (mizmor) of David. For the Paul quotes the Greek translation of
director of music. For pipes. Psalm 5:9 in Romans 3:13a (as well as refer-
ring to Pss. 14:1 – 3 and 140:3 in the same
Background: No specifics are known, but part of Rom. 3).
the psalm indicates that David has adver-
saries who speak lies and plot
harm against him.

Structure:The initial appeal


in verses 1 – 2 is completed by
the last verse of the psalm. In
between are two stanzas of
seven lines each (vv.  3 – 7
and vv.  8 – 11; vv.  3, 7,
10, and 11 each contain
two poetic lines). The
first seven-line stanza
asserts the basis for the
psalmist’s petition;
the second makes
the petition.

Special Notes: Mention


of the temple in verse 7 may imply that
the title of the psalm be understood as

© Sebastian Kaulitzki/www.istockphoto.com

Reflection: A holy God will not put up with the wicked. But the psalmist can approach
God with reverence because of his great love. While it is preferable for the wicked to repent,
God is asked to show his justice by giving the wicked their dues. Dealing out consequences
for evil instructs all of society in justice. The unrepentant do not get a pass. Taking refuge
in God entails more than wanting benefits from him; it implies allegiance to and depen-
dence on him.
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Psalm 6
Theme: The psalmist, in grave physical dis- Special Notes: Sheminith may refer to an
tress, prays for healing and expresses confi- eight-stringed instrument or a musical
dence that enemies will be refuted. style.
Although the psalm moves to an expres-
Type: Individual lament. sion of confidence in eight verses, the center
line expresses the psalmist’s weariness from
Author: A psalm (mizmor) of David. For waiting so long, which indicates that he
the director of music. With stringed instru- found no quick solution.
ments. According to sheminith. ­Jesus alludes to Psalm 6:8 in ­M atthew
7:23.
Background: The psalmist appears to be
sick, concerned about dying, and harassed
by ­enemies.

Structure: The angst of the psalm con-


denses in a centered line (v.  6a): “I am worn
out from my groaning.” The two stanzas
on either side of the center line mirror each
other in length. Stanza 1 (three line pairs in
vv. 1 – 3) is the initial appeal with a descrip-
tion of the psalmist’s troubles. Stanza 2 (two
line pairs in vv. 4 – 5) petitions God for res-
cue from death. Stanza 3 (two line pairs in
vv. 6b – 7) laments the distress of the psalm-
ist. Finally, stanza 4 (three line pairs in
vv. 8 – 10) expresses confidence in God. © Diane Diederich/www.istockphoto.com

Reflection: In this psalm weeping is synonymous with a cry for mercy: “The Lord has
heard my weeping” (v. 8).
Images of extreme distress take the psalmist to the edges of confidence and far from rest-
ful comfort: “I am faint . . . my bones are in agony. . . . My soul is in deep anguish. . . . I am
worn out from my groaning. . . . I f lood my bed with weeping. . . . My eyes grow weak with
sorrow.” He cries out, “How long, Lord, how long?” — ​one of humanity’s two primordial
laments, “How long?” and “Why?” These laments are questions that continue to resound
in the hearts of God’s ­people struggling like the psalmist to live out their faith in the midst
of pain and suffering. Here God provides language for us to voice our physical and spiritual
anguish, to cry out for relief — ​a ll in the context of faith.
When we find ourselves in similar states, we can rest in the awareness that the psalmist
and our Lord himself have preceded us there and left us words to help locate ourselves, to
hang on to faith, and to grab hold of God.
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Psalm 7
Theme: God is a righ­teous judge who deliv- 14 – 16 both express the psalmist’s confidence
ers the innocent. and offer instruction about God punish-
ing the wicked. Their
Type: Individual lament. wicked plans and deeds
come back on their
Author: A shiggaion of David, which he sang own heads. Finally, the
to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite. psalmist vows to praise
the Lord in verse 17.
Background: Unclear. Cush the Benjamite
is not mentioned elsewhere in the Bible. But Special Notes: So sure
the context of the psalm makes it appear is the psalmist of his
that the psalmist is both falsely accused and innocence that he calls a
on the run from attack. curse on himself if he is
in the wrong. The cen-
Structure: Rather than the general request tral stanza of the poem
to listen that begins many laments, this psalm is the appeal for vindica-
goes straight to the heart of the problem, tion in verses 8b – 9.
petitioning God for rescue from being torn to The meaning of
pieces in verses 1 – 2. Verses 3 – 5 protest inno- shiggaion in the title is
cence, inviting the enemy to win if the psalm- unclear, though it may
ist is guilty. Verses 6 – 8 and 9 – 10 petition refer to the idea of
© Johan Swanepoel/www.istockphoto.com
God to act in just wrath. Verses 11 – 13 and lament.

Reflection: Verse 9 expresses the heart of imprecation — ​a prayer for judgment, for punish-
ment. David holds everyone, including himself, to the fiercest standard of impartial justice
and clearly considers himself subject to the righ­teous judge who “probes minds and hearts”
(v. 9) and “displays his wrath every day” (v. 11). From this place and not from spite or per-
sonal vendetta, David the warrior king, a type of Christ, prays for judgment of evil.
Martin Luther wrote that whoever prays, “Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy
will be done,” must also pray against all those in opposition to this and say: “Curses, maledic-
tions and disgrace upon every other name and every other kingdom. May they be ruined and
torn apart and may all their schemes and wisdom and plans run aground.Ӡ If we would ask
of the Lord, “Teach us to pray,” and if we would transcend in our prayers above mere senti-
ments of spite and personal vendettas, we must consider how to stand in this same way for the
kingdom of righ­teous­ness in the world and for good to finally and truly triumph over all evil.

†Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, ed. Jaroslav Pelikan (St. Louis: Concordia, 1956), 21:101.
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Psalm 8
concern and the special place he has given
mere humans.

Structure: The same refrain opens and


closes the psalm, proclaiming the majesty of
the Lord’s name. The remaining lines divide
into two stanzas of four lines each. The first
of these (vv.  1d – 4) proclaims the Lord’s
glory as seen in the heavens and in contrast to
mere humans. The second (vv. 5 – 8) declares
humanity’s dominion over the earth.

Special Notes: Psalm 8:4 – 6 is cited in


Hebrews 2:6 – 8, arguing that it was neces-
sary for ­Jesus to be made “a little lower than
the angels” as part of “put[ting] everything
PhotoDisc
under his feet” (v. 8 NIV). The phrase “son
Theme:The Lord reigns in the heavens; he of man” (NIV) can simply mean “human
has set humanity to rule the earth. beings” (TNIV) but is also used at times as a
title. If it were a title here, it could represent
Type:Hymn of praise. the king’s special ref lections and be all the
more appropriate, though not necessary, as
Author: A psalm (mizmor) of David. For the an application to ­Jesus.
director of music. According to gittith. Jesus quotes Psalm 8:2 in Matthew 21:16;
Paul quotes Psalm 8:6 in 1 Co­r in­thi­ans 15:27.
Background: The psalmist meditates on the It is not known whether gittith in the title
majesty of the heavens and is awed by God’s is a musical instrument or a musical style.

Reflection: The moon is about 2,160 miles (3,476 km) across and 238,857 miles (384,403
km) away from the earth. We are 93 million miles from the sun, into which 1,300,000
earths would fit. We are about 24 trillion miles from the next nearest star. The North Star
is 90 times that distance away. There are billions of stars in our galaxy. The scale of the
solar system and the galaxy staggers the mind. The psalmist did not know the distances but
understood the comparison “like the sand of the sea” as equally mind-boggling. With or
without knowing the numbers, the brilliant display of stars in the clear night sky (especially
unhindered by pollution and city lights) is amazing. How easily it makes one feel small!
Yet, as small and insignificant as we may seem against such a cosmic backdrop, we are
­r ulers — ​r ulers of this planet, a little lower than the angels. Yet rulers under a majestic Lord.
May we rule wisely!
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